This invention relates in general to paging systems and, more particularly, to paging terminal apparatus, operable with paging receivers with acknowledge back capability, to store and retransmit messages for eagers initially failing to acknowledge back within a predetermined time period.
Without more, most paging systems experience a loss of page messages under a number of adverse operating conditions. This may be because the pager wearer is out of effective signal range or, perhaps, has taken himself or herself out of service, accidentally or intentionally, by turning off the pager itself. Interference and other adverse signal conditions are still other relevant factors in this regard.
Obviously, what is needed is some method and apparatus capable of preventing the paging messages from being lost. There are, of course, communications systems known in the art which address problems of this nature regarding undeliverable messages to called persons. Telephone answering answering apparatus is but one group of devices intended to preserve, i.e., store messages for later play back. However, such devices require storage at the receiving parties location and would not be amenable to conventional paging systems. Moreover, it requires specific acts and procedures of the called party to retrieve such messages. Other devices or technologies, such as voice mail services and computer mailboxes, are known but exhibit similar or still other disadvantages.
There is one paging product presently known in the art which addresses the problem of uncompleted calls as intended for particular system pagers. It is directed to an arrangement wherein pages are transmitted periodically until a specified telephone number is called by the particular paged party. However, it will be readily appreciated that this nevertheless requires a definitive act by the pager user to terminate this periodic retransmission of the message. If such user feels it is an unwarranted inconvenience, or for whatever reason, the paging message is needlessly retransmitted using valuable system capacity.
Since most paging users are relatively unsophisticated in electrical/electronic technology and pager operations, what is needed is an arrangement to effect the processing and delivery of paging messages automatically, including the storage and retransmission of messages which cannot be properly delivered to a pager at that particular time, all without any action on the pager user himself or herself being required.